


Into The Unknown

by Summerwolf



Series: Whumptober 2020 [15]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, BAMF Tony Stark, Demonic Possession, Dragon Tony Stark, Dragons, Forest Spirits, Gen, Human Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, I mean... Tony saves him... so... Just saying..., It feels medieval, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is Trying His Best, Peter Parker is a Damsel in Distress, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter Parker isn't Spider-Man, Possession, Protective Tony Stark, Set In The Past?, Sprites, Technically..., Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Whumptober 2020, i honestly don't know, lost Peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27031339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Summerwolf/pseuds/Summerwolf
Summary: Whumptober day 15 - Possession.---This wasn't regular fog.Maybe… maybe the sprite hadn't been joking, maybe it really had been trying to protect him from some kind of evil which was lurking in the woods, but now it was too late, Peter was in its snare and he could feel it looking for a way to get in, trying to find a way to take over.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946926
Kudos: 34
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Into The Unknown

Peter whistled cheerily as he walked through the forest, carefully peering around the damp floor for the magical mushrooms he’d been sent out to gather. He had never seen them before, but May had given him a basic description so hopefully that would be enough for him to find them.

From what May had said they were orange, with a flame like pattern on the head and a black bottom. They didn't sound much like any mushroom Peter had ever seen, but they had to be real, and May said she needed them so that was that, Peter would just have to go searching. He had the feeling she had said something else about the mushrooms, something about where they grew maybe? But he’d been distracted by the antics of one of the other village teenagers just outside their hut, and had forgotten to pay attention.

He was sure it didn’t matter, he had practically grown up in these woods, he knew his way around and would easily be able to figure something out.

\---

He wasn't sure how long he'd been looking when he started feeling some kind of presence behind him. There was no one there whenever he looked around, but then he would take two more steps and the feeling would be back. He wasn't scared exactly, Peter knew these woods were safe, but it was unnerving and the longer it went on the more uncomfortable he became.

"Hello?" he yelled over his shoulder, irrationality hoping that someone - or even something to be honest - would reply so he wouldn't have to continue worrying over what it was.

Silence was the only reply, the wind rustled through some trees and he was fairly sure he heard a branch snap, but there was no verbal response, no greeting back, no angry roar, nothing.

He continued walking, three steps later the presence was back, almost inaudible footsteps echoing his own as he travelled through the dense undergrowth. Was it one of the many sprites he knew lived around here? Was it a forest protector? Why was it following Peter? Did it think he was going to hurt the forest?   
  
“Why are you following me?” he yelled to the sky, not turning around in the hopes whatever it was would stay, would answer his question. The entire thing was putting him on edge, and he hated feeling like he had no idea what was going on, hated feeling like he had no control over a situation, and this one was slipping through his fingers like a handful of water.

"You need to turn back." The voice was low, more of a growl than actual words, and something about it sent physically shivers down Peter's spine. He sort of wished he hadn't asked them to speak. He had no idea what they could be, and their warning, threat?, was just making him more uncomfortable than he had been before.

"I can't," he replied, not turning around, however much he wanted to see who - or what - he was talking to. "I need to get some mushrooms, special ones which only grow this time of year."

"It's not safe in that part of the wood." The voice seemed to have changed, lightened, become more human, though it was clearly the same thing speaking. Maybe it could shapeshift? That could explain the change in tone… or maybe it was some kind of mimic? Peter still had no idea.

"The forest is all safe, it was blessed by spirits." Everyone in their village knew the story of how this was the spirits' home, so they kept it safe, and kept humans safe as well, as long as they didn try to harm anything inside it.

"That is true, but an evil snuck in. It hides over there, trying to lure victims into its snare. I must make sure that doesn't happen."

Peter tilted his head, still not turning around as he fixed his gaze to a tree in front of him. He never thought the unknown could be this difficult. He felt like he needed to turn around, a burning curiosity filling him, but he also knew that he needed answers to his questions first.

"What kind of evil is it? How did it get in? What you are saying just doesn't make sense."

"Humans brought it," the voice answered. It didn't sound overly angry, but Peter knew better. If a forest spirit is blaming your species for something, you get out of there quickly, even when you have done nothing wrong they believe in punishing everyone who has any connection to those who wronged them.

"We brought nothing," Peter kept his give steadier than he felt, spinning around just quick enough to catch a glimpse of a humanoid shape before it whisked behind a tree. It looked like an adult, brown hair, brown eyes, fairly normal looking. It just looked like a man with - was that a goatee? - and what looked like a business suit on. Peter knew he had never seen anyone who looked at all like that in his life, so it had to be the sprite, but he also couldn't quite believe it. He had always expected sprites to be magical and beautiful coloured and wings and leaves and not just a normal looking guy with a gotti.

Spinning back on his heel Peter carried on walking. He knew the humans hadn't brought anything to the forest which meant the spirit must have been lying, just trying to get a laugh by stopping Peter from getting the mushrooms he needed.

\---

A heavy darkness surrounded Peter, a fog like substance had appeared on the horizon just moments before, and now it was creeping up on him, dancing around his legs in a way he knew fog never normally did.

This wasn't regular fog.

Maybe… maybe the sprite hadn't been joking, maybe it really had been trying to protect him from some kind of evil which was lurking in the woods, but now it was too late, Peter was in its snare and he could feel it looking for a way to get in, trying to find a way to take over.

He didn't know what it wanted. Maybe the forest? Maybe the village? Maybe the world? Maybe nothing at all. But it was trying and Peter had fallen right into its trap and now he was going to be taken, used as it's vessel of destruction.

It couldn't do anything as it was, it's mist form too weak, too wispy. But a human, an entire human who just walked right up to it and basically offered himself up. The human who could easily get passage back to the village, who could carry the smoke to where it needed to go.

It wasn't going to let the opportunity escape it.

Peter's breaths started speeding up, panic and pain and fear filling him as he realised that he knew what the smoke was feeling. It was trying to take over his mind and it was slow going, but it was managing and he had nowhere to run and any moment now it would manage and Peter would be gone.

An echoing roar fills the forest, feeling like it was physically pushing at Peter's chest, even though it was just a sound.

The roar cane again, followed this time by the sound of furiously flapping wings. He could feel the fog's fear, feel as it tried to hurry up and take him over before whatever was coming arrived.

A burst of flames surrounded Peter, somehow avoiding him even as it singed the fog around him. In an instant the presence in his mind was gone, the fog slipping away as quickly as it had come.

The dragon - there was a dragon in these woods? - landed just in front of him, nearly knocking Peter off his feet. He wrapped his tail around Peter's waist to keep him steady, a small lizard smile spreading across his face.

"Are you okay Child?"

Peter jumped, staring up at the dragon with the same voice was the spirit from earlier. "You- earlier-"

"Yes," the dragon nodded it's head, "I was the one who warned you earlier, I'm not surprised you didn't recognise me."

"You were right," Peter said quietly, staring at the ground, "it was dangerous. I'm sorry for not listening to you."

"It's okay Child, we all make mistakes," the dragon dropped its head, picking something from the ground and holding them out to Peter. "Your mushrooms. Now come on, I want to make sure you make it home safe."

Peter smiled, taking the mushrooms and putting them into his bag, before following the dragon as they slowly walked back through the forest.

"My name is Peter by the way."

"Nice to meet you Peter. I'm Tony."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!  
> I hope you enjoyed!!  
> Kudos and comments brighten my week!!


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